Harris's Hawk
Harris's Hawk has fallen sharply: down 56% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Harris's Hawk
The Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 88 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 4 states, most concentrated in the Tamaulipan Brushlands.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Harris's Hawk Trends
No notable trend signals for Harris's Hawk. See the full index history below.
Harris's Hawk Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Harris's Hawk is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.01 (95% range 0.00–0.04). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.2%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2026 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2027 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2028 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| 2029 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.04 |
Where the Harris's Hawk Is Detected
BBS routes recording Harris's Hawk, sized by most recent count.
Harris's Hawk Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -3% | 1980 | 19 |
| California | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| New Mexico | -84% | 1993 | 6 |
| Texas | -68% | 1969 | 62 |
Harris's Hawk Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Shortgrass Prairie | -67% | 1977 | 7 |
| Edwards Plateau | -59% | 1995 | 5 |
| Oaks and Prairies | +9% | 1985 | 5 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | +24% | 1980 | 18 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -88% | 1976 | 17 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | -58% | 1969 | 27 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | -31% | 1994 | 6 |
Harris's Hawk Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 56% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.